Each painting is a stage in the spiritual journey and presents an archetype that is the embodiment of that particular stage in the journey. To get to know these stages intimately yourself Jade has created 22 Guided Meditations so that you can participate in the journey from the comfort of your own armchair.

Esoteric Art is simply Art that comes from within and the process of creation requires only that you be able to still the mind and listen in the silence before you begin to create. If you would like to attend a workshop Jade will be offering a group guided Meditation and a talk about the Initiates Way on the 20th of May at the Old Fire Station in the Parquet room. £5 entry fee.

When you visit the exhibition take a photo of yourself wearing the fool hat and pose with the jester stick and post to social media with the hashtag #initiatesway. Don’t forget to sign the guestbook!

The Initiates Way paintings will be produced as a set of Tarot Cards later in the year with an accompanying book about the process of creation and explanation of the symbols and the Imagery.

Check out the Magicians Table at the back of the room where you will find the tools of the trade.

Jade created her first Tarot deck the ‘Soulscapes Tarot’ in 2013 which you can also try out for yourself at the exhibition, and decks can be purchased directly from the Artist.

If you would like to know more or you are interested in learning to read Tarot for yourself you can contact Jade on Instagram

There are 22 Major Arcana in most Tarot decks and each of them represent a stage in the journey of self knowing, an initiation, rite of passage, or major life event that each practitioner passes through on their internal voyage.

The rest of the Tarot deck is split into four Suits with 1 to 10 pip cards and four Court cards associated with each suit to make up 78 cards altogether.

The four suits of the Tarot can be understood at the outset to represent four different “worlds” or states of being

(Wands / Clubs) Staffs – The Spiritual Realm.

(Swords / Spades) Storm – The World of thoughts or imagination.

(Cups / Hearts) Chalices – A World of emotions or desires.

(Discs / Diamonds / Pentacles – The World of physical things and sensations.

22 Major Arcana

Before we go any further with interpretations or explanations it would be a good idea to take out the Major Arcana from your deck and separate them laying them out in sequence before you. You can put them all side by side by side numerically from 0 – 21 so that they read like a cartoon strip. Spend a few moments just looking at each card in this way, and think about any connections that spring to mind as you allow your mind to wander and think about the images. Note down any intuitive thoughts you might receive while doing this a you might just surprise yourself.

The Major Arcana cards themselves are not gods or deities per se but each Archetype does have associations with divine beings or images that can be called upon in order that we may experience all these different facets of being in our waking lives. The images below set out in order tell a story of enlightenment and each part is one section of the whole, to show the whole process of enlightenment with the inner part and the outer part of the journey. The enlightenment process is a cyclical one and if we begin our journey by going within as we do at the beginning as the seeker after experience, then we jump into the unknown and travel through the underworld or the world of shadows as the second stage in the journey, then we come full cycle and emerge at the end of the process back to the beginning but with all of the experiences that we have had to work with on the rest of our journey in life.

During stages 0 to 10 of the internal Tarot journey we awaken each Archetype one by one by pathworking and connect with each in turn until we come to the pivotal or turning point of the wheel.

After the experience at the Wheel of Fortune we go through a transitionary phase at Trump 11 after which we set out to explore the shadow realms and journey through the recesses of the mind for clarity and perspective on our true nature and deal with anything that is lurking in our shadows.

When we come out of the introspective dark phase and begin to bring out our true selves into the world will be faced with the decision of whether or not to begin another cycle of enlightenment and begin again or use what we have learned on the journey so far to put us where we should be, and make sure we are heading in the right direction. The whole process allows restructuring or recreating our selves and our life in accordance with our whole being as we move through all of the different experiences which usually are at odds with the ones that we are used to, and after taking time to reflect over the journey as a whole only then can we make lasting changes to our personality, relationships, goals, and seek our true calling in life.

Take your 22 cards now and set the out in the Lemniscate or Infinity pattern that and what are the differences that you pick up on when you set the story this way instead of in a linear fashion one after the other? Note down your findings in your journal.

To study the Tarot effectively you have to become a part of it and as it becomes a living part of you as the wisdom is digested, imbibed and integrated into life and the only way it can be evaluated is from the inside.

Take out the Fool/Soliel Card from your Tarot deck and spend a little time studying the imagery on the card. You can use this as your entry point into an awakening journey using meditation over the specific imagery contained within the Tarot card.

Some systems ascribe this card to the act of breathing, the breath, or life itself.

The very act of meditation requires that you to focus your energy and attention on your breathing, how quickly or slowly we breathe has an almost immediate reaction on our emotional state especially when learning to slow down the breathing to use techniques such as the fourfold breath.

When we step on to the rainbow path we glow with a halo of possibilities and energies, the intellect in tune with the heart and the emotional intelligence, intuition, self guidance all waiting to spread forth to create ripples in the new world which the seeker after experience will create as they progress on the path.

0 Fool

The student is ready to take a leap of discovery with the appearance of this archetype in a Tarot consultation and if you have spent a significant amount of time meditating over the imagery and the meaning it evokes and the thoughts and feelings which arise within you, then you will know what to say to a client who has this card in their reading.

In some decks the fool is seen with a little white dog but in the Soulscape image the animal figure over the head of the fool shows a protective guardian that walked alongside me on the path as my familiar and not everyone will have the same beast as their companion but this is the beast who accompanied me at the outset of my journey.

On the Thoth / Lady Hariss Fool card there is a dove on an upward course also flying free, soaring into higher skies. In early Christian symbolism the imagery of a dove descending represented the descent of the holy spirit, similarly in this image it is that of the inner peace which radiates outwards from the very core of our being to affect all those who we meet on our journey along this path, but only after the acceptance of out own journey and turning our attention inwards to experience the worlds that lay within.

This is the archetypal image of freedom, being carefree, unburdened and the Thoth image proudly displays a physical Sun which has come to be understood as the symbol of generative life force or our energy source on the Earth as our celestial sun in the sky. I renamed the “Fool” image as “Soleil” in the Soulscapes deck and choosing the French word for Sun to bring attention to the importance of light, especially sunlight on our physical health and wellbeing, and the allegory of the Sun on its journey through the signs of the Zodiac, and this whole spiritual journey being akin to the birth of the sun god Ra as the resurrected part or self created soul that we bring into existence by stepping on to the Spiritual path and redeeming ourselves through Alchemical transformation of the Soul.

A prominent figure in the Crowley image is the alligator or crocodile which represents cyclical time, fertility and a warning of pitfalls on the path if one does not pay due care and attention to where they are treading. As we are turning the attention within and shining the light inside ourselves we illuminate everything and bring to life all that this light comes into contact with. What on this earth grows without sunlight? How can there be shadows to explore without the light of the sun? There has long been an association between light and enlightenment and here if we think about the allegory of the white light being split by a prism into the spectrum of colours, hence being able to see and investigate all the separate parts, or divisions of the soul as we seek in the shadows that have been cast by the light of our own consciousness.

Consider the Fool as a garment that we must clothe ourselves with in order to progress and understand he / she as our guide to lead us within so that we may begin to seek our destiny.

The Initiates Way series of paintings is currently showing at the Florence Arts Centre in Egremont. The paintings will be on show until the end of April if you would like to go and see them for yourself. It is free to attend the exhibition.

Each of the paintings has a guided meditation that accompanies it and if you would like to try this for yourself in your own sacred space they are available on the youtube channel.

On the 22nd of March I will be facilitating an Esoteric Art workshop at the Florence Arts centre for anyone who would like to learn how to Meditate before creating Art.

Sunday 22 April 1pm to 3pm
Cost: £5 per person

Would you like to learn how to use the Tarot and Meditation as a tool for transformation and opening the doors to your own creativity? To accompany her exhibition, Initiates Way, artist Jade M will be hosting this one-off workshop…

Artist’s statement:
Esoteric Art simply means art that comes from within. Learning to meditate was the first hurdle for me as an artist to access that space within that allows creation from the heart. There doesn’t need to be any specific outcome or idea of what will be created, it is simply engaging in the process which is the act of creating. Stimulating the source of inspiration within and expressing emotion through colour and technique.

If you would like to come along to the workshop all you will need is blank canvas / sketchbook in a size of your choosing, or canvas boards and whichever medium you like to work in. Fo example, you could bring some acrylic paints…watercolours…chalks or pastels… oil paints. Whatever works for you.

Brushes are not a neccesity as we will probably use fingertips to connect with colour and express. I will guide and instruct on how to begin breathing and visualization techniques which allow you to ground and centre within yourself, and create a sacred space from which to begin your art.

Suitable for children aged 12+ (under 16s must be accompanied). Places are limited so booking is recommended.

I call to the Guardians of the East, South, West and North to attend our (my) circle should it please them. I (We) am (are) here of my (our) own free will to work with Spirit in all of its forms, to honour the Goddess and God within and without. Spirit Guides, Ancestors, Elders, Helpers, Teachers, Angels and those who work with the light please join us (me) in this evening (moment) so that we can work together to strengthen the connection to the otherworld while we work in our Sacred Space.

You can speak aloud the text above or say it in in your mind before you begin.

Close your eyes and begin to count your breathing. Remember to breathe in to the count of four and breathe out to the count of four. Push out your abdomen as you breathe in. This may sound difficult at first but your body will remember that this is the correct way to breathe. When you breathe out allow your abdomen to fall. Breathe in, 2 3 4 breathe out 2 3 4. Breathe in 2 3 4 and breathe out 2 3 4. (repeat slowly as long as is necessary so that you get the rhythm of the breathing and begin to relax)

Every time you breathe you feel more and more relaxed. I want you to begin your visualisation by creating a spinning ball of light just above the crown of your head. Imagine a light spinning and pulsating and growing from a tiny spark into a ball about the size of a watermelon. Spend a few moments imagining this ball of light until you can see it clearly in your mind.

When all of your energy and attention is focussed upon this ball of light begin to bring it down through the top of your head and into your forehead. You feel any stress or anxiety dissolving as this ball of spinning light clears negativity and cleanses your thoughts. enjoy this clarity of thought before moving on. Now bring the ball of spinning light down into your throat. You feel this clear light taking away any communication difficulties that you might have, allowing your confidence to grow and feel content that you can at any time, speak your truth.

Enjoy this feeling of openness and comfort in the knowledge that you are ready to speak from within. Pause and reflect upon how you communicate with others . Are there times when you wish you could be more vocal about your true feelings and desires? Know that you can speak with confidence and be yourself.

Bring your attention back once more to the spinning ball of white light as it begins to move from your throat down to your heart. Feel yourself going within your heart with this ball of energy. This is the real you. The ball of light begins to grow bigger and bigger until it envelopes your whole body and a shaft of light emits from your heart down into the centre of the earth connecting you with the core of our planet. You feel alive and radiant within your power. See yourself extending your arms outwards and projecting this energy which is you out through your hands.

You are the creative spirit and this is your energy and willpower. You have energy in abundance. Allow it to flow freely and unrestricted.

Spend a little time recharging your body with this newfound vitality before returning and recording your experiences.

After you have finished your meditation is it a good idea to have a drink and something to eat to make sure that you are grounded.

By taking time to get to know each part of this journey intimately and experience it for ones self directly we need to be taken out of our comfort zone of what we think we know as we are awakened from within to a world of new experiences that bring change in to our lives. Meditating with each of these images is not something that can be done quickly and will require time, effort and diligence on the part of the seeker and the act of meditating properly is a skill like any other which doesn’t happen overnight but with persistence and determination it is an invaluable tool that will yield phenomenal results if applied consistently and effectively.

I learned to use the fourfold method of breathing very early on in my studies and it has been the best way of quieting the mind of distractions. Focus on your breathing and breathe in to the count of four, then breathe out to the count of four. Bringing your attention and awareness into your body and let the distractions of the outside world fade in to the background. Take a few minutes to do this. You can use music or relax into the peace and quiet. Either way the focus is upon regulating your breathing by counting. In 2,3,4 and our 2,3,4.

This is the guided Meditation for the Fool. The beginning of your journey into enlightenment. Make sure that you will not be disturbed for at least half an hour and you should have a pen and paper ready to record your experience. Before you begin adjust the lighting, light a candle perhaps, and make sure the temperature in the room is warm enough, and if you need a blanket have this to hand. Its a good idea to have a glass of water ready too for when you have finished.

For a long time I knew that the path I was walking was a different one even though I didn’t understand or know why, but just knew that I had to follow it. Tried unsuccessfully to fit so many moulds that were presented to me but couldn’t. Time has proven to me that we all have our unique way of being and that try as we might we cannot escape from the true nature of ourselves.

The Initiates Way began initially in 2006 when I created a set of images to help me understand the Tarot on a personal level and discover what it meant to me. Dipping the toe into the sea of Magical images not knowing where it was going to carry me. I was at the beginning of a very long journey and I had no idea where I would end up. Using the Tarot as a tool for Spiritual Development since then has been priceless in terms of helping me find my place in the world. Without it I would never have begun the exploration of the inner worlds and initiated experiences in my life that have given me a foundation upon which to live and breath. Part of the journey has been to fully embrace the Goddess in all of her glory and celebrate the divine feminine and masculine equally within my spiritual practices.

Creation of the Soulscapes Tarot was the first part of that journey. Using the ideas and concepts of each of the Major Arcana of the Tarot to produce my own spiritual enlightenment journey in pictures, while living it in the physical world. The Initiates Way is the path that I have chosen to walk and last year in January I started to paint another set of images at the outset of another rite of passage beginning with The High Priestess who came to me in a dreamlike vision and told me that I would ‘serve’ at her High Altar. During the creation of the images for the Initiates Way I wrote, participated in and led workshops road testing 22 Meditations that were created with the intent of taking the practitioner of Tarot into uncharted spaces so that they could experience these worlds for themselves.

As we enter into February 2018 the Initiates Way has taken on a life of its own and the remaining images have been coming to fruition when they are ready to be birthed. The completion of the set of images and producing the second deck will be the pinnacle of this awesome journey. The foundations are laid now for anyone who would like to test the water and see if they are ready to facilitate their own seeking for enlightenment and wisdom.

The Guided meditations will be available on Youtube and on the Blogpage.

January is always an interesting month in terms of creating. This year I seem to have spent more time tying up loose ends and plotting long term projects than actually sitting down and creating. The stillness of days where there is hardly a breath of air allows for peaceful reflection and the days of glorious sunshine, cold but clear, when the rain temporarily ceases.

The creation of the Court images for the Pentacles / Discs took a lot more time than I had envisaged. Seems they were not quite ready to be birthed properly until we were fully into January.

The Prince of Discs who made his appearance in November is at the top and the Queen, King and princess came to fruition in quick succession over the last week. As one cycle closes and another begins the flame of creation will be turned towards the pip card images for the Wands. The Ace of Wands / Staffs was a collaboration wais a collaboration between me and the twins. They painted an awesome background for me and the ‘rod that budded’ is in the foreground.

This second journey through creating a Tarot deck has been a completely different experience in terms of my own spiritual development and understanding. I set out with the intention of letting the images arise from within and I used the meditations that I wrote for each major arcana for our spiritual development group as my starting point. So in this sense they are truly Esoteric and have come from within. The tarot for me has become a living breathing entity in its own right in my life and in my work. Looking back at the humble beginnings of being given my own set of Tarot at the age of 18, and then using it as a tool for enlightenment for serious study has given me a foundation upon which to rest my Art, writing and songs and for them to grow upon that platform.

I have learned that reading Tarot and using it for its true purpose are two very different things. My entry into the world of Tarot changed my life completely and I can’t imagine a life without it. The learning process of helping people I have met over the years of reading has given me such an insight into human nature which is priceless, and when it comes to creating something for others to use as a tool I hope that this wisdom is carried on through those who use the decks in the future. The Soulscapes deck appears to have been the beginning of a very long journey for me and the creation of the Initiates way has been the closing or ending of that cycle of learning. Who know what the future will hold once the new deck is complete and sent out into the world to find its new students.

May your year be filled with joy and love and i’m looking forward to meeting lots of new friends and catching up with old friends at the events that are coming up.

Don’t forget to check out the events page for upcoming workshops and MBS tables for th next year !

As we are approaching the Winter Solstice in the UK we had our first taste of snow and ice last week. Picturesque postcard scenes of white landscapes with crisp azure blue skies. The paintings for the Discs that are part of the new Initiates Way Tarot series have unearthed themselves in a slow and steady fashion and there is only the 10 of Discs left to create now for that particular set. The Princess, king and Queen I expect to arrive over the next week or so during the holidays.

The choice of Discs to name the suit this time around during the creation process has been an intuitive choice. In the Soulscapes Deck I used the traditional Pentacles to represent the realm of Earth. This time I have used golden spinning wheels or Discs. Some of them have the appearance of coins but there is always a subtle movement in them which was the deciding factor on choosing Discs.

In some decks like Chesca Potter’s Wildwood Tarot this suit is attributed to stones thereby representing the actual Earth but I wanted to present the more fluid idea of currency and the idea of spiritual wealth being that of the movement of energy in and out of ones sphere of existence. Energetic output and return for ones creativity or the work that we do is only one of the aspects of the suit of discs or pentacles. The flow of wealth in and out of our lives, the idea of gifting and giving without thought of what you are going to get in return, and what something is really worth and why. These are the sort of things that I have been considering while creating the images for the Discs.

I was watching a lecture by John Anthony West about the temples and the function that they serve as places to get in touch with the divine presences and something he said in it about Architecture being frozen Music really got me thinking about the effect that our surroundings have upon us. Especially our homes. I remember very well the feelings and sensations that I had the first time I walked into Chartres Cathedral and the emotions that it evoked, overwhelming me with love and a sense of awe and humility. And in contrast the feelings and sensations that were present when I walked into the man made Cathedral Cavern at Langdale in Cumbria with its window that illuminates the darkness below. Both very different structures but that produce a distinct feeling or emotion, that of standing in a ‘great hall’.

Photo credit JadeM

So the general ambience of this last month has been a retreat into solitude within the walls of my home, my sanctuary and lots of quiet contemplation and introspection, journeying within to seek out the known and unknown places within the darkness as well as in the light.

There have been so many changes since I wrote last month’s blog I hardly know where to begin. I started off this month by beginning to paint the Pentacles / Discs pip cards for the new Initiates Way Tarot and gained more understanding about my own relationship between work, finances, energy and grounding of ideas into the physical world.

I don’t know if it’s an Artist thing or a projected state of mind that we have drummed into us about Art being a hobby, or something else that you do away from your real job, but I have had a fraught relationship with being an Artist for most of my adult life.

Justice from the Initiates Way Tarot by JadeM

A friend posted on Social Media about the need for having an identity as an Artist and what that means in terms of what people expect from you and one of the issues I have battled with for a long time is putting a fee on the work that I create. It is a job like any other and sometimes it can take a lot more effort to make money doing it than it does to go and work for someone else as an employee and take home a regular wage. Self confidence and self esteem almost certainly come into play when it comes to selling Art.

Death from the Initiates Way Tarot by JadeM

Can you talk to others about about it?

What makes one piece of art worth more than another, other than whether the Artist is dead or alive?

Drowned Man from the Initiates Way Tarot by Jade M

During this process I plunged headlong into the shadows of the underworld and by submitting to introspection and dealing with whatever that threw up in terms of learning and life lessons, I journeyed through the creation of the remaining images and find that i’m standing once again on the high vista of the plateau of the Fool / Jester.

Ready to jump into the abyss and begin anew.

The images for Justice, the Hanged / Drowned Man and Death literally fell out of the ether and on to the canvas in a week after having an unbelievably stressful lead up to the release of these images.

Prince of Discs by Jade M

As of today there is only one of the Major Arcana left for me to paint. It is the 22nd tomorrow so I intend to focus on painting that and then the entire Major sequence for this deck will be finished. The three remaining court images for the Pentacles and Discs are on the menu after that while plotting and scheming for the festive period.

There will be a Calendar available which will include all of the new Initiates Way Tarot images for anyone who would like to order one. Please Email and register your interest and I will contact you directly about the order process.

Seasonal change is upon us once again. The tides are shifting and fluctuating as we head into Autumn here in the UK. Change is in the air and winter is coming! The wind has been buffeting the coast for two days now. Creativity has sparked again with the change in the season allowing me to create all of the cups images for the minor arcana of the Initiates Way and make a start on the Wheel of Fortune Major Arcana. Cycles close and energy is drawn into the earth. Grounding and keeping feet firmly on the ground during the turbulent storms is a balancing act in itself.

I’m ready now to begin earthing the discs / pentacles with the assistance of my eldest wizard in training who is going to help me paint the backgrounds for the minor arcana.

During the Autumn Equinox I painted the Hermit for the new Initiates Way Tarot and it felt like there was a closing cycle almost, coming to an end of a significant part of the inner journey of the fool and as I was painting him he informed me that his title was ‘Son of the Mother”.

The Hermit is one of my favourite Archetypes in the Tarot. Retreating within to listen to ones inner teacher, learning, studying, and spending time in quite contemplation, in stillness and peace.

The Guided Meditations that have been recorded for each of the Major Arcana are now in edit. If you would like to know when these audio meditations will be ready for publication please Email me and I will add you to the subscription list.